College Board
2007
The latest SAT scores are out, and average reading and math scores declined. In the critical reading portion--which used to be called "verbal"--the average score was 502. That's one point lower than last year's average; it's also the lowest reading score in 13 years. The College Board is sticking to its line: scores are down mostly because the pool of test-takers is larger and more diverse. Some point out, though, that the SAT's test-taking population was also growing larger and diversifying during the first part of this decade, when scores rose. What's clear is this. More kids are going to college, which is mostly a good. One wonders, though, if sending unprepared students into the halls of higher education will do those youngsters more harm than good. Will they rise to meet the new academic expectations, or will they drop out? Will universities challenge their less-prepared students, or dumb-down their educations to suit them (and keep them from dropping out)? Read the report here. Get state-by-state data here.